31st U.S. Open Begins

31st U.S. Open Beginsby Rick Davis, InsidePOOL StaffWith the 31st annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships set to begin Monday, September 25, billiards players and staff swarmed into Chesapeake, VA, Sunday to prepare for the coming week. Early in the day the exhibitors began to set up, while the players filtered in for practice, and as the evening unfolded the tournament area was rich with talent. Everyone was excited and looking forward to the event, especially players who have returned from previous years. Butch Croft, for example, was beaming with his friendly smile as he said, “I play good here, real good.” Croft went on to joke, “If you don’t miss, you win.”Discuss the U.S. Open 9-Ball ChampionshipU.S. Open 9-Ball Championships image galleryU.S. Open 9-Ball Championships Tournament Brackets
By the evening there were four or more players rotating on each table for practice, and by seven o’clock it was time for the players' meeting. Getting things started was Barry Behrman, who asked for a moment of silence for Steve Mizerak and Bill Staten, who had passed away this year. He said, “If it weren’t for these two, none of us would be here.”The tournament director, Scott Smith, along with his assistant, Ken Schuman, went over the basic rules as well as the schedule. They vaguely mentioned how 32 players were seeded into the event but then moved onto the topic of breaking. Players must break from the box and attempt an open break, a topic that caused a discussion for several minutes as they tried to define an open break. They also noted that if the cue was frozen to on object ball you could “shoot through” with a level stroke, although they cautioned the tip of the cue must leave the ball. Pushes are not allowed. With a field of 219 players, Behrman still added the full $72,000 and noted that next year will have a full field for sure. Among the players are Hall of Famers, past champions, and many of the top UPA and WPA players. In addition, this year there a number of young guns, the youngest at 11 years old and another at 12. There are a handful of teenagers also, some of whom received free entry through a qualifier at Q Masters, where they bested up to 25 other players. Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news in the sport of billiards and pool.

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